


Damage Limitation

by fictorium (orphan_account)



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV), The Avengers (2012)
Genre: Crossover, F/F, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-24
Updated: 2012-12-24
Packaged: 2017-11-22 07:40:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 928
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/607435
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/fictorium
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A silly thing for Kristen, based on her perfect crossover AU, because the idea of Regina and Tony being bros is too awesome to pass up.</p><p>Boo, I based this on the tags on your Tumblr for canon, hope it's okay!</p>
            </blockquote>





	Damage Limitation

**Author's Note:**

  * For [adventurepants](https://archiveofourown.org/users/adventurepants/gifts).



Tony is just one twist, one micro-shift of mechanical precision away from a breakthrough that will change civilzation entirely when the voice cuts right through his concentration again.

 

He twists a fraction too far, and the circuit fails with a disappointing whirr.

 

“Tony!” The voice is angry now. Not Pepper angry, but pretty damn angry nonetheless. “Anthony Stark, so help me, if you don’t put that screwdriver down right the hell now--”

 

“Reggie!” He turns, dropping the screwdriver on the floor. “You didn’t announce yourself, you bad girl.”

 

“Call me Reggie one more time, and you’ll be picking that screwdriver out of somewhere very tender. And I’ve been announcing myself for ten minutes, no thanks to JARVIS, who’s been completely ignoring me.”

 

“You started it, with the Anthony,” he reminds her, wiping his hands on his t-shirt before pulling her into a hug. Well, as close as either of them ever actually get to hugging someone, but there’s a brief press of body against body at least, before Regina pulls away and pulls faces at her silk blouse like he ruined it. Considering all the ways he has ruined her clothing over the years, that’s kind of an overreaction.

 

“I hope a shower is next in your plans for the evening,” Regina huffs, before putting herself gracefully into the nearest leather chair. 

 

“I don’t have plans for the evening,” Tony points out. “In fact, my assistant canceled my plans, so she could have the evening off to spend with you.”

 

“Ah,” Regina says, inspecting her manicure very intently. “It’s possible that I wasn’t as... appreciative of that gesture as I might have been.”

 

“In the doghouse again?” Tony sighs. “You make me look like boyfriend of the year.”

 

“I was with my mother when Emma called to tell me about the change in plans,” Regina explains, and Tony whistles through his teeth in sympathy.

 

“She’s still not thrilled that you came to Stark Industries and all you got was my lovely assistant?” Tony confirms, checking his phone to see the usual flurry of messages from Pepper about something else he’s forgotten to do.

 

“That’s one way of putting it,” Regina says, but her knuckles are white where she’s gripping the arms of the chair. 

 

“Come on,” Tony instructs, swinging past the chair just long enough to pull her out of it. “Get upstairs, Pepper’s waiting.”

 

“Virginia isn’t who I’m in the mood for tonight,” Regina grumbles, but then she’s never been great at playing with the other girls, until Emma Swan sassed her all the way out of Tony’s office and they were pretty much on a collision course to hooking up right from that moment.

 

“Well, luckily Pepper has a black belt in dealing with difficult assholes like us,” Tony says, because he loves her and because it’s true. He loves Regina, too, even if it’s in a different, saner way and he hasn’t been allowed to tell her since that time they got drunk in Cabo and he sang his lasting adoration to her at a karaoke bar. “And she’ll know what to do to make Emma show up for wine and Chinese food.”

 

“Emma doesn’t like Chinese food,” Regina says, following along at the same brisk pace, her killer heels clicking in a familiar way as they walk towards the elevator bay.

 

“See?” Tony says, whirling around to face her. “Six months ago you wouldn’t have known that. You don’t know that about most people.”

 

“Yes, but...” Regina trails off, fingers clenching into fists. The elevator doors slide open and she steps in first, the picture of frustration in a tight black skirt that Tony appreciates more out of habit than anything else.

 

“I don’t have the advice,” Tony reminds her. “But Pepper knows these things, I swear.”

 

“You rely on her too much,” Regina teases. 

 

“Well, the only other person I relied on ran away to Maine,” Tony fires right back as they whoosh silently upwards. 

 

“I came back,” Regina says curtly. “I always come back.”

 

“Maybe Emma needs to know that about you,” Tony suggests, already distracted by the doors opening and the sight of Pepper in her cut-offs again. The woman’s complete denial about the fact that it’s December is one of his favorite things about her.

 

“Hi, Regina!” Pepper calls from the table where she’s poring over some kind of blueprint. “Let me guess, we need an excuse to bring Emma back to the Tower?”

 

“No,” Regina lies, and Tony signals for Pepper to ignore her. 

 

“I’ll get drinks,” Pepper says, rolling up the plans. She pulls out her phone and a moment later she’s speaking Emma’s name. Tony smiles at a job well done, because everyone’s always telling him how bad he is at humans. 

 

“Thank you,” Regina kind of mutters as he guides her over to the seating area. It actually feels kind of nice.

 

“I’m going to have that shower,” Tony says, messing up her hair on the way past. “Perhaps your girlfriend will grace us with her presence by then.”

 

“Doubt it,” Regina says sourly. “And she’s not my girlfriend.”

 

“Keeping telling yourself that,” Tony throws back over his shoulder. If he’s quick, he can drag Pepper into the shower with him, because it’s better Regina entertain herself than be left with another person in that sort of mood.

 

The elevator dings just before he turns the corner towards the bathroom, and he hears the unmistakable thump of Emma’s boots. Well, Tony thinks, whistling all the way down the hall. He can really take his time now.


End file.
